SomedayAdventure's "Bear" Build Thread

You want a brutally honest opinion, I think you'll have the Pro Comp stuff bent and sagging before too much longer the way you use your truck. In my experience over the years, Pro Comp makes your truck look good on the street, doesn't hold up so well to the use we tend to use our vehicles for. My truck is on an RCD suspension, which is in about the same ball park as Pro Comp. Hopefully yours will meet your needs just the same.

Just for the record, I think you're just a touch harder on your truck than I am on mine, but you have a ways to go to catch Chris.

I'm fortunate that I also have a Jeep (or two) to take out and abuse while the truck sits in camp.

The best advice I think I can give is, build the vehicle to meet YOUR needs (not some Jackass on the interweb's), and build it the way you want it the FIRST time. I've spent a grip of $$$ doing the same mod more than once because I cut corners or saved $$$ the first 5 times!:cool:
 
bob91yj said:
You want a brutally honest opinion, I think you'll have the Pro Comp stuff bent and sagging before too much longer the way you use your truck. In my experience over the years, Pro Comp makes your truck look good on the street, doesn't hold up so well to the use we tend to use our vehicles for. My truck is on an RCD suspension, which is in about the same ball park as Pro Comp, it's worked for me so far only because I have a Jeep to take out and abuse.
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Good to know as I recently installed ProComp add a leaves to my rear suspension. I do have the redundancy of the air bags though.
 
bob91yj said:
You want a brutally honest opinion, I think you'll have the Pro Comp stuff bent and sagging before too much longer the way you use your truck. In my experience over the years, Pro Comp makes your truck look good on the street, doesn't hold up so well to the use we tend to use our vehicles for.
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I don't disagree. I first made the decision to get the ProComp Stage II 6" lift with MX6 reservoir shocks because I didn't want my wife to stab me in the thigh. It served its purpose and, a year later, I'm starting to see problems. We went out to Anza Borrego a week or so ago and I noticed one of the front shocks cant be adjusted. Sucked but I got what I paid for (or didnt pay for) and I understood that. What I did get out of it was a nice (while it lasted and it still works, just doesn't adjust) intro into after market suspensions for my wife, giving her a decent understanding of the difference. Before the suspension, regardless of it being pro comp, it felt like driving a railroad beam with wheels when we first left pavement in Utah. Like I had mentioned before, it snapped the back window of my Leer Cap. I plan on investing in a better suspension in the future when I know more about what I'm looking into.

{[by the way, I can't load pics unless its coming from my phone. does anyone know what might be going on with my account/comp?
 
Somedayilllearn said:
Sucked but I got what I paid for (or didnt pay for) and I understood that. What I did get out of it was a nice (while it lasted and it still works, just doesn't adjust) intro into after market suspensions for my wife, giving her a decent understanding of the difference.
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I think many of us have done something like this at one point or another. Our wives are not dumb, so we have to do our part to educate them so they can understand the value. Sounds like this may have become a lot easier for you to justify in the future. That said, when a bone stock sedan rolls thru the same "treacherous" trail you "needed" said item for... you loose points... big time! Not that that has ever happened to any of us. :lol
 
Be careful what you ask for, you may get it. When we bought our '05 Wrangler, my wife took one look at it and immediately declared it needed a lift and bigger tires. Less than a month old and it was at the shop getting surgery!
 
bob91yj said:
Be careful what you ask for, you may get it. When we bought our '05 Wrangler, my wife took one look at it and immediately declared it needed a lift and bigger tires. Less than a month old and it was at the shop getting surgery!
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You dont have to brag
 
So, I had my truck. We took it out on trips here and there. One of my first trial trips was Nate Harris Grade in Valley Center. Not a really hard trail at all. Had to three point a hairpin turn here and there but overall pretty nice drive.

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That's my 4 year old standing next to my truck. He was just turned 3 at the time I think.
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So, the next step was a trip to Anza Borrego for camping to see how it all played out. Like I mentioned before, the Fish Creek road was bit rough and I made sure to steer clear of larger rocks.
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Overall, I was pretty happy with the way things went. Sank in the sand a bit here and there but it wast that deep or hard to get out.
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The open exposure to the sun and no place to take a nap for the boys did pose a problem and made Chelsea realize we needed something else (Mwa ha ha plan successful). So she approved the purchase of a Leer Truck cap. I picked one out and had it upgraded with the dog proof screen in the back for Kraken (German Shep) and Bjorne (dobby).
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This is why Chelsea has to say "Yes" before I buy anything.
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The truck that sort of inspired me (on the way to the leer shop)
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Our camping style at the time
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Well here's a couple pieces of advice for off road travel. A. Get an air compressor and air down. It will make a huge difference in off road comfort. I have an ARB twin compressor and auxiliary tank and takes me no time to refill the 37's. B. get 17" wheels, you'll have more tire choices and extra sidewall helps when aired down. Icon shocks for full size trucks do not have that great of a reputation, it would be a straight across trade for what you already have, I will leave it at that. C. drive up to CJC Offroad, talk to Cole, Cody, n Paul. They've been doing quite a few Fords lately.
 
megacabcummins said:
CJC Offroad, talk to Cole, Cody, n Paul.
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They are the only shop I take mine too, they are awesome. Also happen to be forum sponsors. Make sure you don't drop my name though, you will surely get charged extra on my behalf :D
 
BlkWgn said:
They are the only shop I take mine too, they are awesome. Also happen to be forum sponsors. Make sure you don't drop my name though, you will surely get charged extra on my behalf :D
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This is true.. I dropped cris name, and walked outta there paying $1500 for ball joints that should have cost 1000...

(I won't mention that I also had them install some thuren lift springs...) ;)
 
Cool just found you on instagram. I have way more fun on IG, may just have to drop the waste of time FB account. OH another thing about going to a Carli system, and you will learn it is a suspension system not a suspension lift, yes it is 4.5" but you can run a 37" tire, so you'd actually only loose maybe a 1/2" in truck height. But your handling and driveability go way up. We don't even have to go into off road. CJC will hook you up, even if you don't buy anything you'll walk away with some great information for later on, bring Paul some burritos and he will be your best friend forever.
 
megacabcummins said:
OH another thing about going to a Carli system, and you will learn it is a suspension system not a suspension lift, yes it is 4.5" but you can run a 37" tire, so you'd actually only loose maybe a 1/2" in truck height.
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If that's true that's a bit more comforting. I really don't want to be any closer to the ground if that makes sense. I can imagine it would also make the truck look a bit beefy-er with 37"s. Comment on one of the IG pics that its you from AA and I can follow you back.
 
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